Free Republic

After my story on the FAA’s hiring scandal went viral, many of the people impacted and involved in bringing it to light reached out to me to share their stories in detail. While I initially intended to publish this in another outlet, after a couple of instances of radio silence and with life getting in the way, I put it on the shelf. Now, in the wake of the tragic plane crash on January 29 and a resurgence of focus on this topic, it’s more important than ever to get the story straight. I neither have nor claim to have...

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is implementing a data privacy policy that allows people with private jets to hide travel information from the public. “Starting today, they can submit a request through the Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) to withhold this information from public display on all FAA websites.” In its statement, the FAA said the data protection decision was taken based on a privacy provision included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The provision allows aircraft owners to request that certain personally identifiable information not be made publicly available via FAA websites. “The FAA will publish a...

Two air traffic controllers traded punches when a shocking fight erupted inside the tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The facility is already under massive scrutiny following January’s deadly midair collision between an American Airlines flight on final approach and an Army helicopter. And trouble flared again Thursday when a pair of on-duty tower controllers got into a blazing argument before one threw a punch at the other, a source tells us. By the time the brawling colleagues were separated, there was blood spattered over a control console, according to our insider. The tower would likely...

Family members of January's Potomac River plane and helicopter crash victims voiced frustrations after Thursday's Senate aviation subcommittee hearing. ... Family members of the victims of the January plane and helicopter crash at Reagan National Airport (DCA) voiced frustrations with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a preliminary report found that the airport had 1,500 near misses in the past three years. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)’s preliminary report was presented at Thursday’s Senate Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation hearing. Victims’ families and their lawyers argued that the NTSB’s findings suggested the deadly crash was preventable. “I was...

An unruly airplane passenger had to be restrained on board after allegedly biting and hitting other travelers on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles. The bizarre incident, which involved an adult male passenger, happened Shortly after Delta Flight 501 landed at LAX Monday night, the man allegedly biting one passenger and hitting several others ... There have been over 300 reports of unruly passengers so far this year, according to the FAA. Over 2,100 reports of unruly passengers were logged in 2024. ... The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

A watchdog group has filed a conflict-of-interest complaint over concerns that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has “blatantly” pressured the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use Starlink. The Washington, DC-based Campaign Legal Center also filed a lawsuit to stop Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from making “unlawful” cuts to the federal budget. On Thursday, the group sent the 12-page conflict-of-interest complaint about Musk to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Transportation, which oversees the FAA. The center argues that the billionaire is using his position in the Trump administration to push the FAA into buying...

United States government agencies have come together to advance the understanding of persistent contrails and their impacts to inform future decision making. Current models indicate that persistent spreading contrail cirrus has a significant net warming impact on the global climate; however, the magnitude of this impact is uncertain. Research is needed to improve scientific understanding, reduce process-level uncertainties, develop integrated decision support tools and mitigation strategies, and demonstrate and assess prediction and operational capabilities. Improved understanding will allow the U.S. to make informed decisions that will ensure U.S. competitiveness in the aerospace sector while managing the impacts of civil aviation...

A man trained as a pilot at a Lawrenceville airport three years ago raised an international terror alert this week. He was found in Britain on Friday, the FBI said. Zayead Christopher Hajaig, a 35-year-old British national, "remains a person of interest" although he has been located, said Steve Emmett, an FBI spokesman in Atlanta. FBI officials released little information about Hajaig on Friday. They would not say whether he had been detained or how he had been located. Earlier this week, authorities issued a "special alert bulletin" warning airports about Hajaig, who took flight lessons at Astron Enterprises at...

FAA regulations require Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting units to be on site at all commercial airports when a pilot declares an emergency... DENVER — Federal investigators are working to determine what caused an engine fire on American Airlines Flight 1006 at Denver International Airport, which forced passengers to evacuate onto the wing. The fire broke out after the Boeing 737-800 landed and was taxiing to the gate Thursday, prompting a chaotic evacuation that has raised questions about why passengers had to go out onto the wing, why emergency responders were not in position when the plane touched down and...

An official with the FAA helped non-white applicants cheat on their entrance exam. Of course, he still has a job. Sources: https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/18... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFVvNBZWU... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFVvQPYW8... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GFVvI73Wk... https://x.com/RedWave_Press/status/18... https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/03/... https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/03/...

A top 'DEI' activist is caught on voicemail allegedly offering minority air traffic controller candidates the chance to cheat in a make-or-break entry exam. Shelton Snow, a powerful figure in the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), can be heard promising advance access to test answers in a shocking audio clip obtained by DailyMail.com. 'There are some valuable pieces of information that I have taken a screenshot of and I am going to send that to you via email,' says Snow, an air traffic operations supervisor based out of New York. 'I am about 99.99 percent sure that...

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why multiple commercial flights about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport, near Washington DC, repeatedly received midair collision alerts over the weekend when there were no other aircraft nearby.The alerts occurred only miles from the site of the deadly January 29 midair collision of American Eagle 5342 and a US Army Blackhawk helicopter.Several flight crews reported the mystery alerts on their Traffic Collision Avoidance System, known as TCAS, on Saturday “indicating another aircraft was nearby when no other aircraft were in the area,” the FAA said in a statement on Monday.“We were about...

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service could take over a Federal Aviation Administration contract to upgrade the nation's air traffic control systems, The Associated Press reported. Starlink's internet equipment has already been installed in at least two different FAA facilities, according to the wire service, which cited government employees and other people familiar with the matter. Starlink is also preparing to take over a $2 billion contract currently held by telecom provider Verizon, the AP said. Starlink, which is owned by Musk's SpaceX, provides satellite internet access for residential and business customers. It bills itself as the most "advanced internet...

Approximately 1,000 people who majored in air-traffic control or had military flying experience were rejected for air-traffic control jobs because they were white males. Liberals are pretending it never happened. Tell the world. https://danfromsquirrelhill.wordpress.com/2025/02/01/andrew-brigida/ #DEI #RebeccaLobach

Grady Block is an attorney with Mountain States Legal Foundation, which represents a group of air traffic controller candidates. He said the Obama-Biden administration looked at their clients and said, "You know, this looks a little bit too white for what we want.".. There is a sense of nervousness in the air after recent plane crashes across the country and many are questioning if hiring standards could be to blame. An attorney at the forefront of a historic lawsuit shared some discoveries from court on a recent episode of Liz Collin Reports. Grady Block is an attorney with Mountain States...

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has pushed for a massive upgrade of the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming their computer system still uses 'floppy discs.' As the nation is reeling from recent plane crashes, Duffy sounded the alarm on the antiquated FAA claiming there are systems in the network 'that are run on floppy discs.' 'The systems that we use are so old. I need the Congress to move faster with us. We can't wait four years, six years, 10 years. We have to do it right now,' Duffy told CBS News. Donald Trump's Administration has set its sights on replacing the...

Personnel from Elon Musk's government downsizing team called DOGE will visit the Federal Aviation Administration's Air Traffic Control command center in Virginia on Monday, as the Trump administration looks to reform the system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy disclosed the plan in a social media post on Sunday, saying the DOGE team will "get a firsthand look at the current system, learn what air traffic controllers like and dislike about their current tools, and envision how we can make a new, better, modern and safer system."

The Trump Administration fired approximately 300 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employees over the weekend as DOGE works to eliminate DEI and wasteful spending. Last week it was reported that the Trump Admin was gearing up to fire probationary workers. Hundreds of FAA employees received an email informing them of their termination. David Spero, the national president of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), AFL-CIO, blasted the Trump Administration for firing FAA employees.

Musk’s SpaceX team visiting key FAA command center — despite past frictions Multiple sources reporting. Placeholder discussion for FR blog

On Saturday, two people were killed after a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff from a Georgia airport. Authorities responded to the Covington Municipal Airport at around 11:21 p.m. after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contacted them stating they lost contact with the aircraft. “Officers responded to the Covington Municipal Airport at approximately 11:21 p.m. after receiving a call from the FAA in reference to a single engine aircraft that had taken off at approximately 11:00 p.m.,” the Covington Police Department said. “There was no further communication from the aircraft after takeoff. Officers located the aircraft in the woods just...